FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood baseball took care of business to end a four-game homestand on Tuesday night. The Lancers (16-24) never trailed in a 9-3 win over Norfolk State (8-26). Gregory Ryan, Jr. and James Nelson drove in five runs, and Ethan Walker tied a career high with five strikeouts as the Lancer pitching staff struck out a season-best 15 batters.
 
SCORE:
 
               R             H            E
NSU       3             9             2
LWU      9             5             0
 
Top Longwood Performers:
Gregory Ryan, Jr.: 2-4, R, 3 RBI, 2B, SB; James Nelson: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 BB; Ethan Walker: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 5 K
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
The Lancers broke out for five runs in the first three innings on offense. A patient approach at the plate saw the team draw 11 walks in the game.
 
Walker fanned five in two quick innings of work on the mound as the Lancers built the early lead.
 
Ryan put the Lancers on the board by roping an RBI double to right-center in the first inning, one of two base hits on the day for the redshirt-senior.
 
Nelson clubbed a two-run home run to center field in the second inning, and Eliot Dix poked an RBI single to right field for a 4-0 lead a few batters later.
 
Meanwhile, Walker struck out five of the seven batters he faced. The freshman lefthander was excellent, and he earned the win on the team's bullpen day. He gave up one hit in his scoreless frames.
 
Walker's work on the mound set the tone, and the rest of the bullpen followed his lead. Every pitcher that saw time struck out at least one batter, with Ried Dittner, Cole Taylor, Aidan Vanvickle and Wyatt Bunch all striking out at least two. Vanvickle struck out the side after coming on in the seventh.
 
Norfolk State got on the board with an RBI groundout by Cam Mazell in the sixth, but Longwood answered with a four-run seventh after loading the bases. Ryan again delivered the big base knock with a two-run single, and the Lancers pushed the lead to 9-1.
 
From that point on, the Lancer bullpen finished it off. Norfolk State plated two in the eighth but never truly threatened.
 
WHAT THEY SAID:
 
"It was good to see our guys lock in early and get the win," said Longwood Head Coach Chad Oxendine. "Ethan Walker came out and pounded the zone, and Greg Ryan and James Nelson put some good swings on the ball. Our guys put together some solid at bats and were tough outs at the plate. And our bullpen came out and threw well. We have to make sure we keep that focus and attention going forward into a big conference series this weekend."
 
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
 
Longwood swept the season series against Norfolk State.
 
Nelson hit his fifth home run of the season. He is second on the team in homers.
 
Ryan had his 13^th multi-RBI game, which leads the team.
 
Ryan has 44 RBI on the season, a team high and a number that ranks in the top five in the Big South.
 
The pitching staff combined for 15 strikeouts, which is a season high.
 
Longwood has struck out at least 10 batters in 10 games this season.
 
The Lancers drew 11 walks, which was one shy of the team's season high, set April 4 at Norfolk State.
 
Corbin McCloud went 0-0 at the plate but drew a team-high three walks.
 
Ethan Barnes (two walks), Jim White (two walks) and Nelson (two walks) also drew multiple walks.
 
UP NEXT:
 
Longwood dives back into Big South play this weekend with a trip down to Charleston Southern to take on the Buccaneers. The three-game series will run from Friday to Sunday, April 21-23. First pitch on Friday is set for 5 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday's games taking place at 1:30 p.m. The games on Friday and Sunday are scheduled to be on ESPN+
 
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